Polyketones are manufactured by the phosphoric acid/carboxylic acid anhydride catalyzed reaction of a dicarboxylic acid with an electron rich aromatic compound which behaves as a difunctional compound.
Polyketones, especially aromatic polyketones, are important engineering polymers, often having the advantages of chemical resistance, good high temperature properties, good tensile properties, and others. Typical engineering polyketones are poly(etheretherketone) (PEEK) (I), and poly(etherketone) (PEK) ((II), having the repeat units 
Most commonly these polymers have been made by the condensation of an aromatic hydroxy compound with an aromatic fluoride. For example, PEEK may be made by the reaction of 4,4xe2x80x2-difluorobenzophenone with the dianion of hydroquinone, while PEK may be made by the reaction of 4,4xe2x80x2-difluorobenzophenone with the dianion of 4,4xe2x80x2-dihydroxybenzophenone, or the base promoted self condensation of 4-fluoro-4xe2x80x2-hydroxybenzophenone. While these reactions suffice to make the desired polymers, they have serious disadvantages. The benzophenone monomers required are expensive, and the reactions produce byproducts such as inorganic fluorides which must be properly disposed of
Another method of making aromatic ketones is the Friedel-Crafts synthesis. While this may employ somewhat cheaper ingredients the reaction is often more difficult to run and unwanted byproducts are produced. For example at least stoichiometric quantities of a Lewis acid such as aluminum chloride must be used, which later must be separated from the polymer and discarded or otherwise used. Therefore improved methods of making polyketones are desired.
T. P. Smyth et al. J. Org. Chem, vol. 63, p. 8946-8951 (1998) describe a reaction for forming aromatic ketones reacting a carboxylic acid with an aromatic compound using as an activation system, a combination of phosphoric acid and trifluoroacetic anhydride. No mention is made of using such a reaction to form polymers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,856 discloses a process for preparing polyketones and poly (ketone -sulfone) polymers, whereby reactive aromatic compounds are contacted with aromatic dicarboxylic acids in the presence of trifluoroacetic anhydride and phosphorous pentoxide. U.S. Pat. No. 4,839,459 discloses a pros for preparing poly(ether-ketone) polymers.
EP A 229 470 to co-poly ketones, process for making them and process for blending them with other polymers.
This invention concerns, a process for the production of polyketones, comprising contacting an aromatic compound which is bireactive, a dicarboxylic acid, phosphoric acid, and a carboxylic acid anhydride.
By hydrocarbyl herein is meant a univalent radical containing carbon and hydrogen while substituted hydrocarbyl means hydrocarbyl substituted with one or more functional groups including complete replacement of the hydrogens). By hydrocarbylene is meant a divalent group containing only carbons and hydrogen containing two free valences to different carbon atoms by hydrocarbylene is meant a group containing carbon and hydrogen with to free valences to the same carbon atoms, each of these valences bound to a different atom. By substituted hydrocarbylene is meant a hydrocarbylene group substituted with one or more function groups, and in which all of the hydrogen may be replaced.
By a xe2x80x9cbireactivexe2x80x9d compound herein is meant a compound, such as an aromatic compound, in which substantially all molecules of that compound will each react twice in the ketone forming polymerization process. Since normally the xe2x80x9creactive groupxe2x80x9d in such a compound is a hydrogen bound to a carbon atom, which is not usually thought of as a functional group, this term is used.
By an xe2x80x9caromatic compound which is bireactivexe2x80x9d is meant a compound which contains at least one aromatic ring which is bireactive. This compound may contain more than one aromatic ring. If more than one aromatic ring is present it may be fused ring system such as found in naphthalene or anthracene a ring system connected directly by a covalent bond, such as is found in biphenyl, or a ring system connected through another group, such as is found in diphenyl ether, diphenylmethane, and 2,2-diphenylpropane. Other groups may be present
on the aromatic rings so long as do not interfere with the ketone forming polymerization reaction. It is preferred that the aromatic rings are carbocyclic rings. It is also preferred that the aromatic ring or rings of this compound are naphthyl ring systems or phenyl ring(s), more preferably phenyl rings. More than one aromatic compound which is bireactive may be present to form a copolymer.
T. P. Smyth, et al. postulate that the ketone forming reaction is an electrophilic attack on an aromatic ring of the bireactive compound. It is well known in the art that in such electrophilic reactions a substrate, such as the bireactive compound, is more reactive the more xe2x80x9celectron-richxe2x80x9d it is. Aromatic rings can be made more electron rich by having electron donating substituents attached to these rings. Such substituents include groups such as ether, alkyl, and tertiary amino, and are well known in the art. The presence of such groups will tend to make the bireactive compounds more reactive and ensure that it is in fact bireactive instead of monoreactive. Useful compounds for the bireactive compound include naphthalene, methylnaphthalene, methoxynaphthalene, benzyl ether, stilbene, diphenyl carbonate, benzyl phenyl ether, biphenyl, terphenyl, fluorene, and a compound of the formula 
wherein R1 is xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94 (diphenyl ether), alkylidene (for example xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94CH2CH2xe2x80x94, or (CH3)2C less than ), and R3 is hydrocarbylene, substituted hydrocarbylene or hydrocarbylidene, more preferably alkylene or alkylidene. Preferred bifunctional compounds are (III), especially when (III) is diphenyl ether. Useful groups for R3 include 1,2-ethylene, 1,3-phenylene and 1,4-phenylene. More than one bireactive aromatic compound may be present to give a copolyketone.
Any carboxylic acid anhydride may be used. Carboxylic acid anhydride here has the usual meaning, a compound of the formula R2C(O)O(O)CR2 wherein each R2 is independently hydrocarbyl or substituted hydrocarbyl. It is preferred that both of R2 are the same. It is preferred that Hammett "sgr"m for each of R2 is about 0.2 or more, more preferably 0.4 or more. Hammett "sgr"m constants are well known in the art, see for instance C. Hansch, et al., Chem. Rev., vol. 91, p. 185ff (1991). Preferred groups for R2 are perfluoroalkyl, and perfluoromethyl is especially preferred.
The dicarboxylic acid may be any organic dicarboxylic acid, and may contain other groups which do not interfere with the ketone forming reaction. Useful dicarboxylic acids include terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, 4,4xe2x80x2-bibenzoic acid, 2-methylterephthalic acid, 2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylic acid, 2-chloroterephthalic acid, bis(4,4xe2x80x2-dicarboxyphenyl)ether, cyclohexane-dicarboxylic acid, norbornanedicarboxylic acid, 2,5-pyridinedicarboxylic acid, and 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid. Preferred carboxylic acids are aromatic dicarboxylic acids, that is compounds in which the carboxyl groups are bound directly to aromatic rings. Preferred aromatic dicarboxylic acid are terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, 4,4-bibenzoic acid and 2,6-napththalene dicarboxylic acid, and terephthalic acid and isophthalic acid are especially preferred. More than one dicarboxylic acid may be present in the process to give a copolyketone.
The molar ratio of the aromatic compound which is bireactive to dicarboxylic acid should preferably be about 1:1, especially preferably about 1.0:1.0, and more preferably 1.00:1.00, to achieve higher molecular weight polymer. This is normal for most condensation polymerizations to achieve higher molecular weight polymer. The molar ratio of carboxylic acid anhydride to dicarboxylic acid is preferably about 0.1 to about 20, more preferably about 2 to about 4. The molar ratio of phosphoric acid to dicarboxylic acid is preferably about 0.01 to about 2.0, more preferably about 0.05 to about 1.0.
The pressure at which the process is run is not critical, autogenous (for processes in which the boiling point of one or more of the reactants is exceeded) or atmospheric pressure being useful. In order to prevent unwanted side reactions such as hydrolysis of the carboxylic acid anhydride by atmospheric moisture, it is convenient to run the reaction under an inert atmosphere, such as nitrogen. The process may be agitated. A useful reaction temperature range is about 0xc2x0 C. to about 300xc2x0 C., preferably about 25xc2x0 C. to about 250xc2x0 C, more preferably about 30xc2x0 C. to about 200xc2x0 C.
The reaction may be run neat, i.e., without other added liquids or solids. It may also be run in the presence of another liquid. This liquid, which should be inert under reaction conditions, may be a solvent for one or more of the starting materials and/or product polymer, but one or more of the process ingredients may simply be suspended in the liquid. Suitable liquids includes alkanes such as octane, electron deficient aromatic compounds such as o-dichlorobenzene, and halogenated alkanes such as 1,2-dichloroethane. The process may be run as a batch, semi-batch or continuous reaction. For example a continuous reaction may be run in a continuous stirred tank reactor or a pipeline-type reactor. Such reaction systems are well known in the art.
Aromatic compounds that are trireactive or higher, or tri- or higher carboxylic acids may also be present in the process in small amounts (to produce a thermoplastic). Addition of these xe2x80x9cpolyfunctionalxe2x80x9d compounds will give branching, which may be desirable in the polymer for polymer processing reasons. However too much of these polyfunctional compounds will lead to crosslinking. Crosslinking is undesirable for making linear or branched (melt or solution processible) polymer, but may be desired is a thermoset resin is the desired product.
Included within the meaning of the ingredients added to this process are any combinations of (other) ingredients which are known to react to give the needed ingredients in situ.
The polymers produced by the process are useful as molding resins for various types of parts, such as parts that are heat and/or chemically resistant.
To a 50 mL Schlenk flask equipped with a nitrogen inlet was added 4.0 g 4-benzoylbenzoic acid (17.7 mmol) followed by 7.43 g trifluoroacetic anhydride (35.4 mmol). The mixture was cooled to 0xc2x0 C. using an external wet ice bath and 0.204 g of 85% phosphoric acid (1.77 mmol) solution was added. After allowing to stir for 30 min, 2.10 g anisole (19.4 mmol) was added. The solution was allowed to warm to room temperature and stir for an additional 30 min after which time the temperature was raised to 60xc2x0 C. The mixture was allowed to stir for 4 h at 60xc2x0 C. After allowing to cool to room temperature, the solution was diluted with chloroform, washed twice with 10% sodium carbonate (aq.) solution and once with water. The organic solution was dried (MgSO4) and the solvent was removed under reduced pressure to afford an off-white solid, which was a mixture of 80% 4-(4-methoxybenzoyl)benzophenone and 20% 4-(2-methoxybenzoyl)-benzophenone, as determined by 1H NMR.

To a 100 mL Schlenk flask was added 2.0 g (12.0 mmol) isophthalic acid followed by 10.1 g (48.1 mmol) trifluoroacetic anhydride. The mixture was cooled to 0xc2x0 C. and 2.80 g (24.3 mmol) of 85% phosphoric acid solution was added. The mixture was allowed to stir for 30 min at room temperature before 2.86 g (26.4 mmol) of anisole was added. After stirring for 30 min at room temperature the reaction was heated at 65xc2x0 C. for 4 hours. After cooling to room temperature the reaction was diluted with 150 mL chloroform and washed with 3xc3x9750 mL of 2% aqueous sodium carbonate and then 50 mL water. After drying (MgSO4), the solvent was removed by rotary evaporation to provide an amber oil. High Pressure Liquid Chromatographic analysis showed that 35% of the product was the ortho, para isomer, while 65% of the product was the para, para isomer.